Indonesian military ready to cooperate with foreign counterparts on equality basis: minister

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JAKARTA, March 17 (PNA/Xinhua) -- Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said Wednesday the military is ready to cooperate with any foreign counterparts on equality and balance basis as it is a sovereign territory.

"We are ready to cooperate with the United States, China, Australia, Singapore and others with a condition of equality and balance basis," Purnomo told reporters.

He made the statement to comment on the joint-military training between Indonesian army special forces of Kopassus with its U.S. counterpart in the last few days.

"That would be a good material for both forces as they could exchange military expertise," said Purnomo.

He said that military cooperation with other countries should be under national interest.

"As President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said that Indonesia must have zero enemy and one thousand friends, we have to maintain our good relationship, including military one, to make it happen," he said.

On the military cooperation with the U.S., Purnomo said that so far everything goes well.

"So far we have no problem related to military cooperation. Indonesia-U.S. Security Dialog keeps continuing," he said.

According to Purnomo, joint military training between Indonesia and the U.S. is also aimed to show its counterpart that the country's military has changed compared to 10 years ago.

"Now, our military has reformed and the result is extraordinary. The Indonesian military no longer has representatives in parliament, meaning that we are more professional in conducting our jobs in defending this country," he said. (PNA/Xinhua)

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